The Storyteller of Burmecia - Epiphany
by Ian Jenkins
Summary: Garahan's tale of Talyn Resscal continues as the Alexandrian Commander confronts his superiors and faces off with the deadly General Beatrix. Please R&R!!!
1. Duel With A Dragoon Knight

(Note: I don't own Final Fantasy 9. All I own are the fan  
characters in the story.)  
  
The Storyteller of Burmecia  
by Ian Jenkins  
  
The man in the dark blue cloak smiled as his presence in Burmecia was made known by the children. Their shouts of joy and happiness reached his ears as he neared the gates. The two Burmecian guards on duty were hesitant as this mysterious stranger approached. However, the children's urging pressed on.  
  
"Let him in!" one boy shouted, "He's not a bad guy! He's Garahan, the Storyteller!"  
  
"Yeah, he's a good guy!" another joined in.  
  
Finally, the guards opened the gates of the great city to let the stranger enter. As he passed through the gates into the city, Garahan was met with a small throng of Burmecian children, very eager to see the man again. He laughed lowly upon seeing them rush to him, embracing him. They were as if his own children...  
  
"Hello, my little ones..." he said, smiling gently, "I trust all of you are well?"  
  
The children gave affirm responses to his question. He chuckled again. He knew what most of them came here for. Actually, he knew what all of them came for.  
  
"You wish for a story?" he asked with a slight grin.  
  
"YEAH!!" the children all yelled at once, to which Garahan laughed.  
  
"Then, what are we waiting for?" he asked, continuing onward into the center of the town square and took a seat before a statue of a great Burmecian warrior. The children followed and sat before him on the soft grass, their tails gently waving in anticipation.  
  
"The story I bring to you today is unlike the others that I have told." he said softly, "For this story, my dear little ones, is a true story. This actually happened."  
  
A murmur spread through the crowd of curious children. Garahan smiled and began his story, "The story begins thirty years ago... when Burmecia had fallen under attack by the neighboring country of Alexandria..."  
  
~*~  
DUEL WITH A DRAGOON KNIGHT  
~*~  
  
Commander Talyn Resscal paid no heed to the rain that fell from the sky on that dark and dreary day. In fact, he welcomed it. Often, he felt that if it was raining before a great battle, he would be victorious. He was travelling to Burmecia to assist Queen Brahne and General Beatrix in destroying the nation and mercilessly killing its people. He didn't know why he was called to assist Brahne and Beatrix to destroy Burmecia. He didn't care. This was an opportunity to not only gain face with the Queen and her most trusted General, but also to gain a promotion! Little did he know that the Battle of Burmecia would change his life forever...  
  
It was dark with storm clouds when he came within ten miles of the once-proud city. However, as he neared the city, he saw a lone figure standing to face him, a lancelet in hand. A Burmecian Dragoon Knight. As soon as he saw him, Talyn drew his sword and pointed it at him.  
  
"Burmecian vermin!" he spat out, "Your doom is at hand!"  
  
"Is it so?" the Burmecian asked with an air of calm, "And what, sir knight, shall be my doomtrain?"  
  
"The great country of Alexandria, rodent!" Talyn shouted, "Prepare yourself!"  
  
The Burmecian took a fighting stance as Talyn leapt to attack. A terrific battle ensued between the two combatants, thunder booming as their swords clashed. However, the fight was soon over as Talyn was pointing his sword down at the fallen Burmecian warrior, who still had that look of calm on his face.  
  
"Something else, Burmecian vermin?" Talyn stared down at the Burmecian.  
  
"Just a question, sir knight..." The Burmecian said, "...why did you join the army?"  
  
Talyn raised and eyebrow at this question. 'Who,' he wondered, 'would ask such a question in their moment of death?' However, he answered, "I joined the army to protect Alexandria."  
  
The Burmecian soldier nodded, "...you did not join to murder innocents?"  
  
Talyn's brows furrowed, "...no..."  
  
"You did not join to destroy their homes?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You did not join to slaughter their children?"  
  
"NO!" Talyn was starting to become angry, "Why would you ask such horrid questions!?"  
  
"If you did not join to kill innocents, their children, or destroy their homes, you should not be in the Alexandrian army." the Burmecian replied softly.  
  
Talyn stared down at the Burmecian, "...what do you speak of?"  
  
The Burmecian slowly rose to his feet, "Tell me, sir knight. Have you ever been to Burmecia before?"  
  
"...only as a child."  
  
"Imagine this, if you will. The once-proud city of Burmecia as it was. Peaceful. Thriving. Productive. Then, imagine that peace shattered as demons with pointed hats enter, destroying the city with their destructive magic. The innocents brutally killed. Their children watch in horror, weeping for their dead parents. Their cries are cut off sharply as, just as quickly as their parents had been killed, so too are they. The demons continue their assault, slaughtering and destroying. Those whom you serve are causing this destruction."  
  
Talyn stared at the Burmecian, silent.  
  
"I suggest you think carefully about the purpose of your trip to Burmecia before you continue on." the Burmecian Dragoon Knight said before turning and slowly beginning to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" Talyn took a step forward, "Who are you!?"  
  
The knight stopped and glanced back at him, "...you may call me Fratley." And, with a sudden leap into the rainy air, he was gone. Talyn looked up, trying to follow the knight with his eyes... but failed to do so. Finally, he looked down, stopping all movement. His mind raced with thoughts. His queen, responsible for all this destruction? Impossible. But...it was true that she had started becoming more and more aggressive against her neighboring countries lately.  
  
Talyn shook his head and turned back toward Burmecia. A choice had to be made. He just wasn't sure if he was going to be making the right choice... 


	2. Burmecia

(Note: I still don't own Final Fantasy 9. All I own are the fan characters in the story.)  
  
Garahan glanced around at the children. They were staring at him, wide-eyed and some of them had their mouths open. He chuckled lightly to himself. He didn't expect such a reaction.  
  
"Wow!" one exclaimed, "He actually met Sir Fratley? THE Sir Fratley!?"  
  
"Indeed." Garahan nodded.  
  
"Wait a minute..." another said, "How could Fratley have told him that? Fratley had lost his memory!"  
  
"I am only telling what I know, my little ones..." Garahan replied, "I do not quite know the full details. Perhaps Fratley knew more than he told originally. In any case, Talyn had heard many things about the Burmecian Dragoon Knight Fratley. And he knew that Fratley was just playing possum... excuse the expression." A few of the children chuckled at that. "In any case, I do not suggest you sell Commander Talyn Resscal short just yet, my little ones. His own name was widely spread as well. Not as infamous as Alexandria's General Beatrix but he was known as a very skilled fighter."  
  
Garahan glanced about again. A few of the older Burmecians had come around to listen to the story. He raised an eyebrow slightly. Never expected this audience.  
  
"Please do continue, sir." a familiar female voice said from the crowd of onlookers.  
  
Garahan looked up slightly, looking for the owner of the voice. No familiar face stepped forward. All he saw were the faces of the children, eager for him to continue the story. He nodded slightly, deciding to find that voice later.  
  
"Very well." he said, "In any case, the rain continued to pour down as Commander Talyn pressed onward toward Burmecia. He had a desicion to make and a small amount of time to make it in."  
  
~*~  
BURMECIA  
~*~  
  
Before long, he, Talyn Resacal, stood at the gates of Burmecia. The scene already looked as terrible as Sir Fratley had described. The gates had been forcibly opened, more like they had been destroyed rather than opened. Food carts had been knocked over. Buildings had been demolished. Discarded weapons, bones, and half-dead Burmecian bodies littered the streets. His stomach turned as his eyes widened. He remembered that on a day not unlike this one, he arrived at a similar scene in Gearo, a small town that had been plotting to overthrow Queen Brahne. Only, he felt joy and excitement at seeing the lives of blasphemers taken. The thrill of battle once washed over him as he cut down those deemed traitors by the queen.  
  
But, his conversation with Fratley had made him look at it in another light. This light was blood red. Frightening. Sickening. As he examined a dropped spear, he heard a blood-curdling scream eminating from the area in which I speak to you now. He saw them, almost immediately.  
  
Two of them, pointed-hats and all. Two of those 'Black Mages', as the Queen had called them. Two of them advanced on a Burmecian woman and her child. The both of them were cradling the dead body of a Burmecian soldier, whom Talyn assumed was the husband and father.  
  
"KILL!" the first mage exclaimed.  
  
"KILL!" the second repeated.  
  
Both of them raised their hands, intending to strike down the Burmecian woman and her child with their magic. Talyn's heart leapt into his throat. He couldn't let this happen... not now!  
  
"BLACK MAGES, HALT!!" he yelled as he ran toward the scene. The two Black Mages slowly lowered their arms and turned to the Alexandrian commander, silent. The two Burmecians looked to him with some confusion and apprehension.  
  
Talyn looked to the Burmecians and then back to the Black Mages, "You are needed elsewhere. I will handle this situation."  
  
Still, the Black Mages said nothing, but disappeared into small spheres of light and fluttered away. Talyn watched them go and turned to face the Burmecian woman and her child. They still held onto the dead Burmecian man. "Commander Resscal...!" the woman said breathlessly, "Stay away, you murderer!" she cried, backing away from him.  
  
"Madam..." Talyn knelt down on one knee, "Please... I do not wish you any harm. I implore you... I beg of you... please leave Burmecia now... before more of those things come here!"  
  
"...wh...what...?" the woman asked, a look of astonishment on her face.  
  
"Leave Burmecia... find somewhere to hide!" he exclaimed, "I will evacuate anyone else still in the city!" Talyn stood and started heading deeper into Burmecia.  
  
"How can we trust you!?" she spat in contempt, "You are an Alexandrian leader!"  
  
"...I am an Alexandrian leader who knows what is really going on." he replied as he disappeared into one of the buildings. He knew the Burmecian lock system. If he was going to find the king and evacuate him, he'd need to get into the palace. And, sealing that palace was the bell-door, which could only be opened by a doorbell. He would have to find one if he had any hope of getting into the palace.  
  
He started to examine the wreckage of a bedroom when he heard a low groan. A Burmecian soldier was trying to stand from the wreckage, which had collapsed onto him. Talyn glanced down at him and knelt down to assist him.  
  
"Thank you..." the Burmecian replied before taking a look at him. As soon as he did, he stepped back, reaching for his weapon, "Talyn Resscal! What is this!?"  
  
"Easy..." Talyn took a step back, raising his arms to show he wasn't going to attack, "I need to get to the royal palace."  
  
"To assassinate our king, no doubt!?" the Burmecian hissed, "I will not let you!" With that, he grabbed his spear and thrust at Talyn. The commander jumped back as the spear hit a pillar. The pillar fell forward onto the Burmecian soldier, who was just doing his duty to his king and country. The Burmecian's skull was crushed in the fall of the stone pillar. Quickly kneeling beside the Burmecian, Talyn sighed, seeing he was too late. A slight ringing noise caught his ears. A bell. From the Burmecian. Searching the dead Burmecian's uniform, he fished the bell out from a pocket.  
  
"This is it..." he said to himself, "...this will give me access to the palace." Standing, he placed the bell in the inside pocket of his cloak. He knew where his next destination would lie. The Royal Palace of Burmecia. There, he would confront his former commanding officer, General Beatrix, and Queen Brahne herself... He had taken his first steps into recognizing the larger world around him. 


	3. Talyn's Epiphany

"Why wouldn't any of the Burmecians believe that he was on their side?" one of the children asked, interrupting the story. Most of the others turned to rebuke him, to tell him to keep quiet.  
  
"Now, now…" Garahan said, calming them, "This young lad brings up a good point. The reason is because, though Talyn wasn't trying to kill them, the Burmecians didn't think he was there to help them either. It would be very hard to accept that an Alexandrian leader would actually be helping their cause and trying to evacuate the civilians."  
  
"They should have at least heard him out…" the female voice again returned. Garahan, again, looked up to see whomever it was that was speaking to him. But, still, not a familiar face to be seen in the ever-growing crowd.  
  
"Keep going, Garahan!" another child exclaimed.  
  
"Right." Garahan nodded and continued on with his story, "With the door- bell in his possession, Commander Resscal searched the destroyed city of Burmecia for the entrance to the Royal Palace. When he did find it, he was met with an unpleasant surprise…"  
  
~*~  
  
EPIPHANY  
  
~*~  
  
"Impossible…" Talyn whispered to himself, as he remained hidden in the shadows, peering at the bell-door. He had found his way through the wreckage of a Burmecian home and came upon the entryway to the Royal Palace of Burmecia, but he did not make it there first. There were three others there, standing before the bell-door, not yet aware of his presence. One was a man…at least he thought it was a man. He was not sure. The other two were easily recognizable. The fat and ugly one was none other than Queen Brahne and the other woman was his superior officer, General Beatrix.  
  
"It is no use, highness." Beatrix sighed as she set the point of her sword on the ground, "The door will not open unless we have a door-bell."  
  
"Then FIND a door-bell!" the queen growled, "The king of those rats will NOT escape me!"  
  
"Our Black Mages have been ordered to retrieve any bells and bring them to us." Beatrix said, "It is only a matter of time before-"  
  
Suddenly, the chilly dampness of the rain and the temperature turned against Talyn. He felt something coming but was not able to hold it in. Before he knew what had happened, he sneezed loudly, giving away his position. Beatrix swung around to face the shadows, sword up and ready to defend Brahne.  
  
"Who goes there?" she demanded, pointing the sword toward the figure drenched in rain and darkness. Talyn sighed, figuring that it was too late for stealth and stepped forward to reveal himself to the three. Beatrix slowly lowered her sword, "Commander Resscal. It's about time that you showed up. Where have you been?"  
  
Talyn shook his head, "Never mind that. …I have not come for the reasons that you may think."  
  
Brahne fixed a cold glare on the young man, "And what have you come here for, if not to serve your country?"  
  
"I came here…" Talyn took in a deep breath before unsheathing his sword, "I came here to stop you! This country need not be dealt such severe blows as you would have given them!"  
  
Beatrix's mouth turned upward in a small smirk, "So, the Commander is a turncoat. It is ironic that you would have been promoted to General soon enough. Tell us, Commander, why have you decided to stop us?"  
  
"This is not the way of the Alexandrian army!" Talyn exclaimed, "I joined to protect the country, not to wage war against a neighboring kingdom!" He pointed to Brahne, "You're in a mad quest for power and I won't stand for it!"  
  
"No matter!" Brahne snapped, "Beatrix! Deal with the traitor!"  
  
Beatrix pointed her sword toward Talyn, "With great pleasure." Immediately she charged at Talyn, who reflexively dodged to the side and clashed his sword with hers. The battle between the two warriors ensued. Every time their swords clashed, it was as if another bolt of lighting filled the sky, the clanging of the sword like thunder. Unlike the battle with the Burmecian Dragoon Knight, however, it was Talyn who fell before Beatrix.  
  
Talyn stumbled away from her, leaning on the railing of the balcony for support. Putting his hand to his chest, he took it away slowly, revealing the blood that leaked. Beatrix approached him and grabbed his throat, squeezing it.  
  
"You can die with the rest of the traitorous vermin!" she hissed and grabbed the bell from his trenchcoat pocket. Talyn reached for the bell, to save it from her grasp, but Beatrix pushed him backwards, sending him over the railing and off of the balcony, landing on the cobblestone ground below.  
  
The pain that Talyn felt was immense. He thought he felt his head was cracked open, his bones broken, his body in a mangled mess. He tried to concentrate on keeping his eyes open, for he feared that if he did indeed close them, he would never again open them in this lifetime. He did not want to die. He had too much else planned for him to die.  
  
However, fate was not playing his way that day. He tried desperately to keep his eyes open, to grasp onto the bits of life that he had left. As his vision dimmed, he saw two figures standing over him. They were unrecognizable but he remembered one of their voices.  
  
"That's him…" it was the voice of the woman he had saved from the Black Mages, "He's the one that sent those demons away."  
  
"This is Talyn Resscal, the Alexandrian commander…" the other figure, male, spoke, "He fought Beatrix to defend this city…come, help me with him. We shall bring him to Cleyra and give him rest. I hope we are not too late."  
  
"Are you certain that this is a good idea?" the woman asked, "He could very well be nothing more than a spy and a puppet for the Alexandrians!"  
  
"If he is, then we shall deal with him then. As for now, we must bring him to Cleyra if we hope to save his life."  
  
Talyn opened his eyes a bit further, "…No…they'll get into…the palace…the king…"  
  
"Worry not about the king, warrior." The male Burmecian soldier replied, "He has been evacuated, like most of the citizens here, to Cleyra."  
  
"…good…" Talyn sighed in relief, "Brahne…and Beatrix…they're…" But, he could not say another word as the pain returned to his body and he passed out.  
  
"Quickly! We must hurry!" the Burmecian soldier replied as he and the Burmecian woman gently picked him up and carried Talyn out of the city. 


End file.
